SATO SEAFOOD
ADDRESS: 2310 Kūhiō Avenue #5, Honolulu, HI 96815
INSTAGRAM: @satoseafood808
After an activity-packed day of hiking Diamond Head, walking around the Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Gardens, and then taking in the sunset at Waikiki Beach, my wife Cami and I decided on sticking within walking distance of our Airbnb to get some dinner. There was a poke place called Sato Seafood that was pretty close by that we had saved off on our list when doing our research. Neither of us wanted something too heavy for dinner either, so poke bowls seemed like the perfect choice.
The storefront for Sato Seafood itself is tucked away near the intersection of Kūhiō Avenue and Nohonani Street. At the time of our visit, there was also some construction scaffolding for the building next door, so that obscured us from seeing the entrance initially before we walked all the way around the building to find it. The place operates as takeout only, with only a couple of two-person tables in front of the restaurant (if you’re lucky to snag one).
In addition to the numerous poke and seafood bowls on their menu, there were also some tempura bowl options along with handrolls to choose from. Salmon or ahi were the fish choices for either the shoyu or Maui style poke that they had, but if you opted for a combo bowl (like I did), you could get two styles instead of just the one. I built my own bowl with the Maui ahi and shoyu salmon poke, along with fried garlic, edamame, avocado, and macadamia nuts as toppings. Cami decided to go with their Salmon Mayo Pon bowl, which was a Japanese-style cooked salmon topped with mayo and ponzu sauce.
There was only one other couple that was ahead of us when we ordered our food, so we ended up only waiting about 10 minutes before we got our takeout boxes of poke. (A pretty large group arrived not long after we ordered, so seems like we made it just in time.) Even though the takeout box was one of the smaller cube-shaped ones, it definitely had a bit of heft when you picked it up. Crack it open and you’re met with a bunch of food piled high inside the container.
I was definitely happy with the mix of the Maui ahi and shoyu salmon poke that I got. The fish tasted absolutely fresh, and all of the flavors from their respective sauces came through. Acidity, umami, savory, and a hint of sweetness all blended together with each bite. The fried garlic and macadamia nuts were also nice additions to the flavor, along with providing some texture to go with the fish, avocado, and edamame. I could have easily devoured a whole second container’s worth of the poke, but the portion ended up being just right.
Cami also really enjoyed the salmon mayo pon bowl, and she often talked about wanting to go back to Sato Seafood during the trip for another round of it. The cooked salmon mixed together really well with the mayo and ponzu sauce, with the nori strips, macadamia nuts, and edamame also adding some really nice flavors as you ate it with the rice.
Even if the Sato Seafood storefront is relatively unassuming as you walk by, it’s definitely not a place to be overlooked. There are such a variety of different poke and seafood bowls here, with all of the ingredients tasting absolutely fresh. For how the quality of the food is, I’d happily pay the $18 – $20 price for the bowl, especially with being located right there in the downtown Waikiki area. Take a stop in to experience some poke that will leave you wanting more.
Let’s now take a look at the Sato Seafood Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** Maui Ahi and Shoyu Salmon Poke Combo **
Topped with fried garlic, avocado, edamame, macadamia nuts, and scallions.
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** Salmon Mayo Pon Bowl **
Japanese-style cooked salmon, topped with mayo and ponzu sauce, nori strips, macadamia nuts, and edamame.
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And finally, here are my rankings for Sato Seafood:
Food: 4.75 / 5
The quality of the fish was really fresh, and the flavors of the poke all mixed really well together. It was clear that the fish was the star of the show, and with a variety of other bowl options available, there’s certainly something new to try if you take a return visit.
Atmosphere: N/A
Even with the takeout only setup and just a couple of tables, the beach isn’t too far away if you wanted to take the food there to enjoy.
Service: 4.25 / 5
It was a relatively short wait for our food, and the two women working there were really kind during our interactions with them.
Price: 4.5 / 5
For the $18 – $20 price point for one of the bowls, I thought that for the amount and quality of the food, it was certainly well worth it.
Overall:
13.5 / 15
(90%)
Categories: Hawaii, Restaurants
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